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xwesterlund · 9 months

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In the Shadows of History - Chapter 1: Rendezvous at The Three Broomsticks

ALSO ON AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48359134/chapters/122660275#workskin With the wind rushing through her hair, Julianna soared through the sky on her broomstick, with her large travelling trunk attached to it and swaying. The dramatic Scottish highlands stretched out beneath her with mountains beginning to rise as she approached the horizon. Upon making it over a plateau and diving down, Julianna was met with a colossal black lake, and further up on the other side, a vast castle with its many turrets and tall towers sat upon a high mountain. Even in the day, the decorative stained glass windows of the castle sparkled majestically. Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry loomed above Julianna, getting taller and taller as she flew close. A wave of nostalgia hit Julianna at that moment. As she glided over the lake she remembered her first year there, when she was in a boat, crossing the waters for the first time in her life. It felt surreal that she was back here again, but instead as a professor. However, as surreal as it felt, Julianna couldn’t help but feel pride swelling in her chest. She felt extremely confident about this job. In fact - she thought - she might be a bit over-qualified.

Julianna finally landed in the courtyard in front of the school. Neatly trimmed hedges surrounded a large intricate fountain while the brick pathway led Julianna towards the grand entrance. She could see that someone was standing there and waiting to greet her.

It was an older woman in a dark grey blazer with burgundy accents and a long skirt to match, with her red hair pulled into a bun. At her side stood an older-looking house elf, peering up at Julianna curiously with his large green eyes. The woman smiled as Julianna approached, reaching out her hand and speaking up at the same time. “Julianna Berrycloth. It’s lovely to see you in person again.” “Professor Weasley! Likewise” Julianna smiled politely as she shook Professor Weasley’s hand. “Wonderful. However, Matilda will do.”, Matilda Weasley nodded at Julianna, giving her a faint grin, “You are no longer a student, isn’t that right?” “Of course.” Julianna could feel her cheeks warming up. Seeing Matilda Weasley took Julianna back. During her time at the school, Matilda was not the deputy headmistress, but instead just the transfiguration teacher. She recalled herself being quite average at the subject. Working for the ministry also allowed Julianna to learn about Matilda’s career as a curse breaker. She was inclined to feel they would get along quite well due to their similar life experiences.

As the two of them spoke, the elf stepped over to Julianna’s side, taking her broom and trunk. “Deek will bring this to your quarters if you don’t mind, miss…” The elf hummed as Julianna looked down, nodding to him. “This is Deek.” Matilda smiled at the elf, who smiled back at her and disappeared with a crack, “I’ve known him for a very long time. If you are ever in need of help he will be the one worth looking out for.” “Understood profess- er- Matilda. Sorry… I ought to get used to that…” Julianna murmured as the two of them headed into the school through the front doors.

The two of them walked into the entrance hall, before heading straight for the grand staircase. The corridors were empty, their footsteps echoing as they walked. There were only a few days left before the school would reopen. At this moment Julianna realised that in her seven years at Hogwarts, she was never up in the headmaster's office, nor did she know how to get there.

“I expect that a tour of the castle is not necessary? Locations of the main classrooms have remained the same for over ten years.” Matilda explained as Julianna followed her. “I will be introducing you to the headmaster, and once that is finished, we will be going to Hogsmeade. The staff have organised a little get-together before the term officially begins. It will be a great opportunity to get to know most of the professors. However, I reckon you may know a few from your time here as a student.” Julianna took all of that information in while noting the directions to the headmaster’s office. They headed up a spiral staircase that was unfamiliar to her. Just then Julianna realised how unflattering she looked. She wore her most dull, yet comfortable, muggle clothes. She hoped the headmaster would not take notice of that. “You mentioned in the letter that the headmaster wanted to speak to me directly, that he was curious about my research? It’s a pleasure knowing he inquired about me.” For some odd reason, Matilda did not respond to Julianna’s comment.

They finally reached what seemed to be a dead end with a small alcove upon which sat a gargoyle. Matilda looked up at the statue and firmly uttered a phrase in what Julianna recognised to be French. “Toujours Pur.” The statue of the gargoyle rose to the ceiling, with another spiral staircase appearing in its place. Matilda looked at Julianna as they headed up- “If possible, do not come here unless the headmaster summons you. He does not like being disturbed up here, and nobody else is supposed to know the password. This is a very special case.” Matilda said this in quite a solemn manner, which caught Julianna off guard. “Of course! Why come all the way up here if I can send an owl anyway...”, Even if Julianna wanted to forget the password, she couldn’t now.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Julianna was met with a beautiful and large circular room. The walls were covered with moving portraits which Julianna recognised to be previous headmasters of the school. A few were asleep in their frames, while the others curiously peered over towards the visitors. There were also many cabinets containing rather peculiar artefacts and trinkets that caught Julianna’s eye. Some moved, or glowed, or floated. Some even emitted rather dark auras. “About time!”. Julianna’s head snapped back ahead the moment she heard the unfamiliar voice. Further up in the room, she could see a man getting up from his desk. He was of medium stature, dressed in a grey vest, trousers and a midnight blue bowtie over which he wore a dark green tailcoat with gold buttons adorning his clothes. He had a well-groomed, pointed beard, and his black hair was neatly swept to one side. His shrewd, narrow eyes stared down at the two women as they headed up the steps towards him. “Professor.” Matilda smiled at the man as she beckoned towards Julianna, “This is Julianna Berrycloth, she will be taking up the role of the professor for history of magic. Julianna, please meet Phineas Nigellus Black, our headmaster.”. Phineas Black rested his hands behind his back as he looked at Julianna, who smiled politely at him and held out a hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m looking forwards to working here and-” “Berrycloth, is it?” Black cut in, not shaking her hand but seeming to study Julianna rather queerly, “Yes, yes. I know that name. They were a fine wizarding family, the Berrycloths… Very scholarly, they were. However, I feel like they have not been heard from in… a long while!” Julianna stared at Black as she lowered her hand, perplexed. She looked to Matilda, who was about to say something, but Julianna was first-

“Well, ‘wizarding’ would have been the right word five generations ago, but my father is a muggle, as is my mother.” Black’s already straight posture seemed to have stiffened up slightly upon hearing the word ‘muggle’. Behind her, Julianna could hear Matilda shifting, and suddenly the atmosphere in the room became very awkward as nobody spoke for a solid, uncomfortable minute. “I see. How… Peculiar.” Black said rather blankly, before turning his attention towards Matilda as if looking for some sort of explanation. Matilda cleared her throat, before putting her hands together. “As I’m sure you recall, professor, I did tell you about Julianna’s exceptional work in the fields of archaeology and wizarding history. She has been visiting and studying many ancient sites where-”. “Yes, I recall all of that.” Black frowned, taking out his pocket watch, now seeming rather dismissive and impatient, “What I would like to know, is why we are hiring a new professor to teach the history of magic when we have had a professor who has been so diligently working at this school for years, even after his death. Why on earth would you want to replace such a valuable member of our staff? It seems utterly senseless to me!”

Valuable member? Julianna wanted to scoff at Black for his words. The only value that Cuthbert Binns provided was when one wanted to know how many Crups Thornton Harkaway bred, or how one Wilfred Elphic POSSIBLY managed to get gored by an African Erumpent. She felt nothing but bitter discontent towards Professor Binns. He made the subject so painfully monotonous when it could be taught in a much more constructive way. Julianna knew that she would do much better a job than Binns. There was no denying it.

It was becoming clear that Black’s dismissal of Julianna only came about suddenly when he heard she was a muggle-born. So he was one of those strict purebloods. Well, that’s not much of a surprise, is it? He is a Black, after all. Julianna could feel her heart beginning to race. Would Black turn her away over something as trivial as her blood status? “I am not insinuating that Professor Binns is to be completely replaced from his position.” Matilda spoke up, which almost made Julianna jump, “However, before last year’s O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts, I took the time to gather feedback from our students to see how they were preparing for the exams. An overwhelming number of students expressed worry about the history of magic, feeling they were ill-equipped for the upcoming exam, and had to learn a lot of the information themselves.” “I do not see an issue with that!” Black asserted, his brows raised at Matilda. Julianna felt almost as if she had become invisible to him, “If given the opportunity the students will always complain about something! It does them good to pick up a book and actually study. Nobody will hold their hand once they are out of this school.” “If I may?” Julianna spoke up promptly. The other two looked at her. Black’s gaze had become cold, however, Matilda had an encouraging smile on her face. “Professor Black, I can assure you with utmost confidence that I will be perfect for this job.” Julianna spoke firmly with her eyes locked on Black, “The books the students learn from? I know them all from back to front, and more. I will prepare students for their exams so well that it will be as if they have lived in each given period. Not to mention… If the student grades go up - not as if they aren’t already good, but they will get better- it will not only look good for them… but for you too.” Speak to his ego, flatter him, he ought to like that.

Black lazily raised a brow at Julianna, seeming to consider her words for a brief moment, before scoffing at her, “I do not care for frivolous talk and empty promises-”

“Then.” Julianna cut in abruptly. She couldn’t help but notice how much Black enunciated his r’s. She held back a grin, then quickly cleared her throat and continued, “Then… I welcome you to audit my first lesson. You will know you have made the right choice after that. You will not regret it, professor.”. Despite Julianna’s resolute, Black’s expression was impassive. He looked to Matilda, before rolling his eyes carelessly, “Fine. I suppose I can find time for that. Professor Weasley here will be in charge of scheduling that first lesson. After that… We will see where you will go.”. It seemed like Matilda was holding her breath for a good while, because at that moment she let out a soft, but long exhale of relief. The corner of Julianna’s mouth twitched slightly as she nodded. Black checked his pocket watch, not sparing Matilda nor Julianna another glance as he turned away from them, “Well, I’ve got other business to attend to now. Was this all?”. “Yes, it was. Goodbye, professor…” Matilda nodded, turning and heading out of the office without another word. Julianna stared at the back of Black’s head, and feeling exasperated she followed Matilda out of the office.

The two of them were a good distance away from the corridor to the headmaster’s office before Julianna finally broke the silence, clearly affronted by what had just transpired-

“Is he always like that?!” “Whatever do you mean?” Matilda asked, gazing right ahead as they walked beside each other. “Was he only like that to me because I am a muggle-born, or is he just so naturally arrogant?” Julianna frowned. Matilda looked at Julianna, with an expression that was hard to read, but somewhere in there, Julianna could see an inkling of amusement. “Do you normally speak your mind so freely? You must watch who you do that around.” Matilda mused with a small smile, causing Julianna to blush awkwardly. “... I will take that as a yes. Well, Professor Black has his own way of doing things. He may have his … preferences, yes. However, he is also not one to interact with the other professors so much. I am the one with the responsibility of hiring and speaking to the staff at the school.” Then what DOES he do? Julianna wanted to ask, but knowing she would not be able to withhold the cheek in her tone, she kept that question to herself. “Nevertheless, you should be very pleased with yourself. You managed to convince him to give you a chance.” Matilda’s smile broadened in satisfaction, “And after that lesson, I will assign you a regular timetable.”. “Are you that confident that he will take me?” Matilda, looking poised, faced Julianna again, with a valiant glint in her eyes- “I reached out to you for a reason Julianna. Now, we must get to Hogsmeade. The others will be waiting for us.”

As Hogsmeade was within walking distance, Julianna and Matilda took the trip by foot. The gravelly path walks and scenery remained unchanged from how Julianna remembered it, apart from the Forbidden Forest, which had seemed to grow more dense and foreboding. Matilda then asked Julianna something she was not expecting; “So … You had mentioned to Black that your family was a wizarding family five generations ago?” “Sorry? Oh, right. Yes. After I graduated from Hogwarts I decided to look into my genealogy. It was quite a lengthy project, but indeed, the Berrycloth name belonged to a pureblood family up until my great-great-great-grandparents had my great-great-grandfather, who was a squib, who then married a muggle, who had more muggles, and so on. After that, the knowledge of any wizarding ancestry died off… Until I came along.” Julianna explained. “That is a lot of ‘greats’.” Matilda chuckled, “Your parents much have been shocked. Do you not have any relatives? Cousins or such?”. “Only on my mother’s side, and her family has been all muggle for as far as I could tell.” Julianna said that, before thinking for a moment, “Actually, I may have had a cousin twice removed, however, their surname was different as they married into another family. It was… Bythesea, or something of the sort. I could not find if they had children, or anything else on that family name. Perhaps they emigrated.” Matilda listened to Julianna’s long explanation, nodding in understanding, “... Perhaps they have. It sounds like you had researched quite thoroughly. You should have a proper family tree created. You could display it, remember your roots.”. Julianna liked that idea, but her mind was taken off of it once a pointed archway bearing a sign saying ‘Hogsmeade’ came into view before them. Upon heading into the village, it seemed that it was as bustling as ever, with many of the speciality shops such as Tomes and Scrolls and J. Pippins Potions receiving huge deliveries in order to re-stock and prepare themselves for the influx of students that would be appearing very soon. The women passed through the main street and were soon met with the large brick-cobbled building, The Three Broomsticks.

The inside of the pub was dimly lit by candlelight. There was a warm, sociable atmosphere as witches and wizards sat around, chatting and laughing amongst each other. Sirona Ryan, the barkeeper, looked to them as they approached the bar, “Well, Professor Weasley! Who is this-? Oh, hold on a minute.”. Julianna and Sirona stared at each other in disbelief. “Berrycloth?” “Sirona Ryan!? Oh, look at you! What are you waiting for?” Julianna beckoned as Sirona headed around the bar and over to Julianna before the two of them embraced tightly. “I was hoping you girls would recognise each other.” Matilda put her hands behind her back as the two pulled away. “Where have you been, Berrycloth?” Sirona grinned slightly, while Julianna chuckled; “Oh, where haven’t I been? I must say I did not expect to see you here.” “Well, I hope you will stick around then. We must catch up.” Sirona said, looking pleased, before turning to Matilda, “Everyone is waiting upstairs, I’ll have someone bring you both your butterbeers soon.” Matilda smiled at Sirona, before leaving for the stairs. Julianna and Sirona exchanged jovial nods as Julianna followed suit. Upstairs, after heading past the tavern bedrooms, they went up a narrow staircase that led to a single door at the top.

When entering through the door, they were met with a buzz of chatter. Inside this round, spacious room, witches and wizards in colourful cloaks were sitting in large armchairs surrounding a roaring fireplace. Some of them stopped speaking to look at the newcomers. As Julianna scanned the room, she realised that she recognised none of them, that is, all but a young woman with ginger hair tied into two long braids. Based on a description Julianna had heard before- It was Mirabel Garlick.

“Hello everyone!” Matilda said cheerily as everyone turned their attention towards her now, “I would like to introduce you to Julianna Berrycloth. She will be joining the staff team to teach the history of magic… And before anyone asks…” Matilda said as a man with a purple robe and cap was about to speak up, but stopped, “... Cuthbert is remaining too.”

“Julianna!” Mirabel Garlick got up as some from the group smiled in welcome or gave Julianna a wave, while a few got up after Mirabel to properly greet Julianna. “Mirabel! Oh my goodness, hello!” Julianna chuckled as Mirabel hugged her gently. The two of them had not actually met before, but they knew of each other through Sirona. Julianna and Sirona wrote a lot while she still worked at the ministry, where she learned about Mirabel. For a moment, Julianna could feel her chest become heavy. She should have been more diligent in writing to Sirona when she left for her travels but had neglected to do so.

“I’m so thrilled to finally meet you,” Mirabel chirped as she and Julianna let go, “And you’re joining us to teach? How wonderful, there will be plenty of time to get to know one another. We MUST find a day to meet with Sirona.” Before Julianna had the chance to agree, the door to the room opened and a wizard peeked his head in with a smile. Two pitchers of butterbeer floated into Julianna’s and Matilda’s hands. Then, the man wearing the purple robes and cap from before spoke up from beside Mirabel-

“A new professor for the history of magic? How intriguing. Ah, where are my manners!” The man let out a hearty laugh, “You can call me Abraham, Abraham Ronen! I teach charms.” “Nice to meet you, Abraham.” Julianna nodded politely. Abraham Ronen seemed to have an air about him that put Julianna in a better mood.

Abraham looked around the room, “Now, this is not all of us, of course. Aesop had to spare himself the trip and stayed at Hogwarts, and Chiyo and Mudiwa are still on their way to Britain. Binns… Well, you know yourself. Who else… Oh! Matilda?”. Abraham looked towards Matilda, who was deep in conversation with an older woman with grey hair and blue robes, “Matilda! Say, what about the new theory of magic professor?”

The chatter in the room dried up after Abraham asked this question. Matilda raised her brows as she turned to him, before smiling, “Ah, yes. It is a man called Nyxander Thorp. He was recommended to me by someone from the ministry. He seemed very nice over writing! He will arrive in two days’ time,” Julianna nodded and looked around the room. A few of the faces suddenly looked sombre, and she could not understand why. She looked at Mirabel who appeared particularly mournful. This expression does not suit her at all, Julianna thought. Once the rumble of chatter returned to the room, though it was now less enthusiastic, Mirabel spoke up- “Eleazar Fig… was the man who taught the subject previously. He, unfortunately, passed away at the end of the last school year… Oh… He was here for so long… It was all so… Sudden,” Mirabel’s voice shook slightly. Abraham looked remorseful for unintentionally bringing up the subject, so he quickly moved on before Julianna got a chance to question them about what happened.

“Right, of course. Ahem, well…” Abraham looked around the room once more, “... Well! Matilda is speaking with Dinah Hecat! Defence gainst the dark arts, and just behind them you will find our delightful astronomy professor and head of Ravenclaw house, Satyavati Shah-!” “Merlin’s beard! Professor Shah?!” Julianna had just recognised Satyavati Shah. She had taught Julianna astronomy, and she had changed so much. Satyavati used to wear more plain, muggle-looking clothes as Julianna was wearing at the moment. Now, Satyavati was wearing a beautiful and ornate saree adorned with a golden astrolabe pattern. She did not say anything to Julianna, only smiled softly at her because Abraham continued talking.

“Ah yes! On that note; What house were you in?” Abraham was speaking more briskly now, but Julianna was managing to keep up, “Oh, Ravenclaw. Yourself?” “Slytherin!” Abraham announced proudly, “But Aesop is the head of house,” Julianna did not know who Aesop was, but before she could even ask, again, Abraham continued-

“Everyone is lovely, I expect you will fit in just fine!” Abraham beamed at Julianna. These words put her at ease, but there was at least one person she felt would contradict what he said. “Right! So, the headmaster. Is he… nice?” Julianna asked, trying to sound indifferent. Abraham’s beam seemed to twitch at the question while Mirabel looked unsure of what to say.

“Professor Black. He is… Well…” Mirabel’s face scrunched up as if weighing the words that she was about to say, but Abraham, as usual, spoke up first; “He is certainly busy, so it seems! So, if you ever need him for something, I recommend going to Matilda first.” “What is he so busy with?” Julianna asked, sounding innocent, and Matilda glanced over her shoulder at them. “I wish I could tell you! Although… if you… If you associate with the right people… I think he will be inclined to be a bit more helpful,” Mirabel said indignantly, before taking a rather long sip from her butterbeer. Abraham didn’t react to Mirabel’s rather cryptic comment, almost as if, he understood exactly what she meant. For the rest of the day, the professors entertained themselves with more conversation and butterbeer. The atmosphere picked up again, and Julianna was even invited to play a game of gobstones against the beasts professor and head of Hufflepuff house, Bai Howin. Julianna had to surrender after three rounds because, by the end of it, she and Bai had stunk up the room so much that even having the windows open did not help.

By the time the professors left The Three Broomsticks, the sun was setting and Hogsmeade was cloaked in a soft, orange hue. Most of the professors had set off back to Hogwarts, but Juliana chose to accompany Mirabel, who needed to drop by The Magic Neep in order to stock up on fertiliser and fluxweed seeds. The man selling the produce, Mister Teasdale, seemed like a pleasant fellow. Julianna thought that she ought to know him, but it was always Sirona who would get Julianna’s components for herbology class, so she never met him. Mirabel, on the other hand, spoke with Mister Teasdale as if they were really close friends. She was probably a frequent customer.

With three large sacks of fertiliser gliding behind them, Julianna and Mirabel made their way out of Hogsmeade through a side street that looked more gloomy than the rest of the village. They passed a dingy-looking building with the name “Hog’s Head” painted on with gold lettering that was now chipping away. Julianna remembered the Hog’s Head Inn. She had never been in there as it was known to be disreputable for as long as it stood. Sirona had a particular dislike towards it so the two of them always kept to The Three Broomsticks. These thoughts were further reaffirmed by the group of dodgy-looking men who stood outside the inn, murmuring quietly amongst each other. One of the men with a sullen, scarred face caught Julianna’s eye. He prodded at a short man with dishevelled hair to bring his attention to her. Before the short man could even turn his head, Julianna looked away from them and went to catch up with Mirabel as she pulled her wand out from inside her sleeve. There was something familiar about the short man, but Julianna could not place her finger on it.

“Did you know…” Mirabel cooed happily once Julianna was back at her side, “This year, Matilda will be organising a large event for the school. Since quidditch was cancelled last year by Black, and there will be no tri-wizard tournament, this year seems like the perfect opportunity to host something for the students.” “Why did Black cancel quidditch?” Julianna asked incredulously, and she could see Mirabel roll her eyes dramatically before she inhaled sharply and burst into a prattle; “BECAUSE a pure-blood student got into an accident during a match. I mean, how ridiculous?! If it was literally anyone else, he would not have cared. Oh, you should have seen Chiyo last year. She was positively livid. I heard she wrote to the Department of Games and Sports at the ministry to complain about him! I wonder what came of that. I hope he got scolded harshly.”

Mirabel finished that last sentence with an uncharacteristic poison to her tone. Julianna stared at Mirabel with such a stupified expression that Mirabel went as red as a turnip. “I mean-! No, I-I didn’t mean that! I was just- I just felt-! Oh… Julianna!” Mirabel cried out anxiously, and before Julianna could help herself, her face broke into a grin. “Well, I hope they did too.” Julianna straightened up smugly. Mirabel contemplated Julianna for a moment, wondering if the comment was a trick, but she eventually relaxed and looked back ahead as the two of them finally made their way out of Hogsmeade, and were back on the gravelled path towards the school. “I never lose my temper like this. I would never,” Mirabel shook her head firmly, “But I just cannot understand how he can be so… preferential. Sometimes-! Sometimes, Black makes me want to screech like a Mandrake!” Julianna understood what Mirabel meant. She had spoken with the headmaster for no more than ten minutes, and she could just tell the kind of person he was, and she was clearly not the only one. Julianna placed a reassuring hand on Mirabel’s shoulder, before looking at her wand that she was still holding. At this moment, she felt that through this odd topic of conversation, she had just made her first proper friend at her new job.

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celestemagnoliathewriter · 1 year

Note

Could you please do the kiss ship ask #8 ‘In Secrecy’ for Remadora? I love your works <3

GUESS WHAT I actually got two of these asks so I wrote two of them. The first one, linked here, is much happier and romantic. This one, below, is much angstier. It's OoTP Remadora vs HBP Remadora!

The one below is HBP-era Remadora, angsty, and does contain references to injuries, bodily fluids, animal death, etc., so most of it is under the cut.

It can also be found on AO3.

...

Wobbly, ink-covered fingertips mar the parchment before her with smudges. She knows she’s ingested an unhealthy amount of caffeine and Calming Draught, but the alternating, jittery shakes and bouts of vertigo are worth it.

Without knowing if Remus has survived another transformation, Tonks relies on potions and coffee to scarcely disguise her despair. No one’s told her if he’s still alive.

May’s full moon coincided with stormy skies. Tonks wonders, throwing her head back from an assault of dizziness, if Remus is laying face-down in the mud, his body cooling and stiff in icy, blood-stained puddles.

“Auror Tonks!”

Scrimgeour’s bark shakes her out of her dismal thoughts.

“Yes, sir,” she croaks, pushing mousy brown hair out of her bloodshot eyes.

“You’re going with Dawlish, Proudfoot, Berrycloth, and Robards.”

She sits up at once, confused she’s being sent with a group of the most senior Aurors. They’re all getting up, and while Tonks shoves her things into her rucksack, Kingsley mutters at her, saying she’s going north for a special assignment that morning. Startled, expecting she’d be sent back to Hogsmeade, her current assignment, she follows Proudfoot to the Atrium and gets the Apparition coordinates.

They land somewhere near a dense forest. It smells of petrichor and decay, moist earth and iron, fresh buds and acrid, burnt flesh. The scents assault her nostrils and she holds onto a large tree trunk, resisting the urge to retch. The long distance Apparition has made her vertigo worse.

“Fan out,” Robards orders. “They’re bound to be here. Use your badge to let us know when you’ve found someone. Rope ‘em up and bring them back to the Ministry. Tap thrice when you leave.”

The Aurors go in five opposite directions. Tonks takes a path through broken branches, focusing her efforts on retaining her breakfast. She feels a fool. She didn’t ask who they’re looking for, why they’re looking for them, or what to do when they find them. Whoever they are, they can’t be terribly dangerous.

Tonks stumbles through the undergrowth of the forest, stopping every few minutes to gasp for air. At every sign of movement, she brandishes her wand, only to find young woodland critters going about their mornings. The Human-Presence Revealing Spell hasn’t produced anything yet.

As she goes through the thicket, she begins to see signs that something is amiss. Parts of tree trunks are torn apart. Shreds of wood and moss decorate the forest floor. Bones, flesh, and fur dot her path.

A distinctly human moan tickles her eardrum.

With her wand raised, she follows the sound, a path of destruction creating an obstacle course that she has no intention of undertaking. She blasts away the branches, cuts through the felled tree trunks, and gags at the sight of a hardly breathing, mangled hare.

She puts it out of its misery and continues.

The moan is clearer. It belongs to a man, she thinks, and the sight of bloodied human flesh several yards away alerts her to her prize.

“I’m coming for you,” she vows, looking forward to a win. She doesn’t know what to expect or what she’ll do with her capture, but her badge hasn’t buzzed, which means she’s likely to be the first to find someone. She could use the victory.

The figure is tangled in mud and branches, but alive, and Tonks casts Homenum revelio. The human before her is the only one in the vicinity, but she expects another isn’t far away.

“Reveal yourself!” she shouts, pointing her wand at the fleshy being before her.

A broken gurgling sound is all she receives.

Torn flesh and exposed muscle finally come into her sight. She retches now, incapable of seeing the contorted man with anything but disgust and pity. It might be a capture, but it’s not going to be a victorious one. The pathetic heap of humanity before her is too weak to fight back.

Wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her robes, she swallows the bile in the back of her throat and moves closer.

It’s definitely a man, and as her eyes travel from his lower body to his chest, she cries out and lunges for Remus Lupin.

“Stay alive, oh fuck, Remus, you’ve got to live,” she begs frantically, her hand shaking awfully as she casts spell after spell over his broken body. The caffeine and potions are catching up to her and she holds him, willing her body to prevent her from fainting. She pushes the words out of her mouth, holding her wand over his broken body.

Vulnera Sanentur.

Remus is hanging on for dear life.

Vulnera Sanentur.

The Aurors have been sent in to capture werewolves.

Vulnera Sanentur.

She won’t let them touch him.

Three Episkeys snap his left femur in place. Several more are needed for his kneecaps. Some ribs are shattered; she snatches the emergency vials from her Auror robes and shoves them down his throat, massaging his bruised and battered chest until they settle into his stomach.

The badge on her robes vibrates several times. Her colleagues have found others and they’re leaving the forest with their captives.

She’s not going to leave without him, but she’s not taking him to the Ministry.

“T-t-t—”

“—don’t say anything, Remus,” she gasps.

“Th-they’re,” he rasps, “c-c-coming—”

Not knowing how else to shut him up, she puts her mouth on his. He tastes metallic and earthy, and she feels more than one cut on his lip, but it’s working and he’s quieting.

“TONKS!”

Dawlish’s voice rings out from behind her, terrifying her out of the clandestine kiss.

“TONKS! YOU THERE?”

“I’M FINE! I FOUND SOMEONE!”

Scarlet robes swish in her periphery. She can’t let Dawlish see Remus.

“OI! I FOUND ONE!”

He sounds pleased with himself, and when the badge vibrates again, she knows he’s leaving.

“Ch-child—” Remus raises his arm, which is covered in glistening, scarlet blood, pointing it away from Dawlish.

The crack of Apparition gives them privacy again; Dawlish has gone.

“There are children?”

Remus’s neck looks sprained and he winces, hissing, as he tries to nod.

“I’ll get them to the Ministry,” Tonks tells him. “They won’t hurt children. I’ll come back for you, I promise.”

“G-go—”

Tonks shoves the last healing potion into his mouth and tosses the vial to the side. Her stores are empty and she grimaces, recognizing a minute too late she could’ve saved one of the vials for a hurting child.

Another Homenum revelio confirms her earlier suspicion; there’s at least one more werewolf in the direction Remus pointed toward.

She casts it again and two figures are revealed. She finds the furthest one, finding a boy looking no more than six years old, and heals him as quickly as she can. In a suffocating twist, she takes him to the Ministry, but before her colleagues can descend on her, she goes back for the other child.

The other one is on the edge of life. He’s got a sweet face, pale, round cheeks, and he’s turning blue. The injuries are too severe, Tonks fears, and rather than taking him to the Ministry, she goes right for St. Mungo’s.

Healers descend upon her as she explains the situation, her father blessedly included, and he urges her to go back to see if there are more. Two other Aurors brought in mangled werewolves, but no other children. They don’t want another Montgomery boy, the five-year-old who died a month ago after succumbing to werewolf-inflicted injuries.

Tonks goes back and finds Remus first.

He’s sitting up, his brow knit together tightly, and he’s moving his limbs.

“Remus!”

He tries to speak but Tonks puts her finger on his lips.

“Where’s your wand? Your clothes? I need to help you, but you’ve got to tell me first, are there other children?” she says rapidly, wrapping her robe around him. It’s too small and it’s beyond dirtied with blood and mud, but he needs warmth.

“Two boys,” he rasps, “found them?”

“Yes, they looked about five or six years old, is that all?”

He hisses and clutches his side.

“Your wand—”

“—Accio.”

Tonks wants to slap herself with stupidity. She casts Accio on Remus’s wand and clothes, and the items fly towards them. She helps him redress; his robes are even shabbier than before.

“Let me take you to Hogsmeade—”

Remus is already shaking his head and she wants to choke him; how is this better than any life he could have with her?

“You’re too weak,” she growls, snatching his wand away. “I’m taking you, I’m helping you, and you can come back to this godforsaken place when I’m through.”

The lump in Remus’s throat bobs and he closes his eyes, clearly pained.

“Okay.”

“Oh, thank Merlin.”

She heaves him up on his feet. He’s thin and scraggly and his tall frame is leaning heavily on her. She wraps his arm around her shoulder and with a concentrated grunt, turns on her heel and lands at the top step in front of her room at The Hog’s Head.

She doesn’t care that he’s filthy and bloodied, or that her own room is a pigsty, a nest of depression she’s worked on for months. She drops him into her bed and pulls out every healing potion in her cupboard, forcing him to consume each one until he can’t keep his eyes open.

“I have to go back to the Ministry now,” she tells him, holding his beloved face in her hands. “I’ll be back. Please, please stay. At least until you can walk. Eat anything you like.”

He’s falling asleep and Tonks gives him one more kiss, watching with satisfaction as his lips curl slightly upwards into a smile.

…

Later, she returns to a scrawled note, written in his hands, bearing three simple, agonizing words.

You deserve better.

She saved two children’s lives that morning but she couldn’t save Remus from himself. She cries herself to sleep that night and begs for the madness to stop.

#remadora #remus lupin #nymphadora tonks #ronks #remus x tonks #tonks x remus #lupin x tonks #tonks x lupin #moony x dora #remus x nymphadora #asks #send asks #angst

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papercutsunset · 9 months

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catch me trawling through the old AFU episode summaries so i can get a Goddamn Description of melvin j berrycloth, who only appeared in like two episodes and argued with tiff for most of them

#editing #tiff's haunted adventure

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hairy-liopleurodon · 1 year

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It's Lio's birthday!!

Lio (short for Dandelion, last name is Berrycloth) is an OC I created in 2020 shortly before the world ended and I'm really attached to him. Litteraly writing his story down as a novel and created a modern AU to torture him some more.

This is an art I made last year to celebrate... He is three now!! (meaning i created him 3 years ago he is probably freshly twenty in this picture iirc)

Speedpaint of this! : link

#oc brithday #hairy liopleurodon art #oc lio #digital art #tiefling

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spagnetic · 8 months

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With the body and expressions for Lang complete (may do more in the future) comes the next character. "Dim Berrycloth".

Unfortunately I suck at drawing children and have a lot of studying to do.

In place of my Dim drawings, here are some by my fellow artist @woril.

#drawing #not my art #oc #sketch #sketches

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melodylnoelle · 2 years

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Be Careful What You Ask For

For @paradoxical-scribbler‘s Fictober Writing Challenge

Fandom: None Characters: Cassine, Kayla, and Kaleb Holloworth and Holly Berrycloth Challenge Day Number: 5 Prompt: “Three candies for a prophecy. Five for fortune telling. Thirteen for a soul call.” Warnings/Notes: Kidnapping of children, fae, use of magic Summary: Kayla and Kaleb try to do a spell, but the results are not as intended. Word Count: 1381 Author’s Notes: PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS ON THIS ONE BEFORE PROCEEDING! I decided to tie this one back to the writing that I did for Day 3 of this writing challenge. I wasn’t sure I was going to post it, but... here we are. If you do choose to read this, please enjoy Masterlist

Kayla and Kaleb were so proud of themselves, having found Elizabeth’s Grimoire and pouring over as much of the pages that they could understand. They had found a page with a fun little rhyme, and they wanted to show their mom and Auntie Holly that they could be trusted with learning magic now.

The two gathered the supplies that the page mentioned – black and gold candles from their Aunt’s stash, mint taken fresh from the garden, basil from the kitchen cabinet, and a bunch of flowers they picked outside, and of course, some of the candy that they got from trick-or-treating earlier in the night. They brought them all to the edge of the trees that lined Holly’s backyard.

“What do we do first?” Kaleb asked, looking to his sister with his arms full of flowers.

“I think first we have to make a circle with the flowers,” she said as she tried to remember the book pages in her mind.

“Okay.” He stuck his tongue out of his mouth as he focused, trying to line them up as much as possible.

Kayla trailed along behind him, placing the candles in the star shape that she remembered from the picture. She had one extra black candle than gold, so she started with that, alternating them because she thought it looked pretty. She remembered it said that a black one needed to be in the north, but she settled for having it be the top point of the star, not sure which way was north. She also gathered some extra flowers to make the lines of the star in the center.

“Okay, that’s all of them.” Kaleb took a moment to smile down at his work. “What now?”

“Here-“ she handed him the bundle of mint. “Spread those around inside the circle. I’ll get the basil.”

“You got it, dude,” he quoted from their favorite show.

After they had done that, Kayla thought last minute to add a bunch of acorns that had fallen off the maple tree in the backyard. It was mostly tops that had been chewed on by the squirrels, but she remembered seeing one in the picture, so that was probably good enough.

Once those were in their places, Kayla turned to her brother. “You remember what we have to say?”

“I remember! I’m ready.”

“Okay, let’s do it!”

They walked around on the inside of the circle, placing the thirteen candies out as they spoke the words that they saw on the page.

“Three candies for a prophecy. Five for fortune telling. Thirteen for a soul call. Please take and answer, who hears this call.”

When they didn’t get anything right away, they stood in the circle holding hands, which they had seen some other pages of the book, and repeated the spell.

“Three candies for a prophecy Five for fortune telling Thirteen for soul calling. Please take and answer, who hears this call.”

This time, they saw fog emerge from the edges of the trees, swirling around the edges of the flower circle that they made.

“It’s working!” They said in unison, excitedly jumping up and down while still holding their hands together.

The fog went up around them, making a dome above them until they could no longer see the house.

“Kayla…” Kaleb looked around uncertainly.

“Maybe we should go get Auntie Holly and mom,” Kayla said.

Her brother looked to her and nodded. They broke their hands apart.

Before they took a step, they heard a soft voice whispering to them from the fog. “No, please stay. Share your candy with me.”

Cassine woke with a start. Something was wrong, she could feel it. There was something dark and swirling in the air.

There was a magic in the air that she did not recognize.

She looked around her room, finding nothing out of place. She got up slowly, unease filling her chest. She needed to check into the rest of the house, just to be sure.

She passed Holly’s room first, and she could hear her snoring through the door. The hair stood up on the back of her neck. If not Holly, then who…?

She needed to see the kids, just to ensure that they were safe from this strange magic.

When she got to their room, the door was ajar. Her heart was pounding as she pushed the door open…

And it sank to the floor as she saw the empty beds, blankets pushed aside.

She stared at the beds for a moment, processing, trying to force her body to move. Her eyes darting around the room, willing for them to appear somewhere there. She noted that the window was closed, the curtains drawn. Whatever happened, they exited the room through the door.

“No,” she said quietly. Then loudly, she yelled for her sister as she darted to her room.

“Holly! Holly! I need you, the kids!”

She shoved the door open, moving to the bed to shake her still-groggy sister awake.

“Wha-. What’s happening?”

“The kids! They’re gone! And there’s… there’s magic! Don’t you feel it! They’re gone!”

Holly squinted in the light, but her eyes went wide as she sensed it too. She bolted upright, her mind sharper at the realization.

“They weren’t in their room?”

“No! Didn’t you hear me? They’re gone!”

“Ok, ok, take a deep breath.” She held her hands up to her sister before placing them on Cassine’s shoulders, taking a deep breath with her. “They can’t have gone far. You search the main floor, and I will search this one and the upstairs. Ok?”

Cassine didn’t answer. Instead, she took off from the room. She made her way downstairs, starting in the kitchen.

“Kayla! Kaleb! Are you here?” She called as she moved. She could hear Holly doing the same.

There was no sign of them besides a step-stool that had been moved closer to the stove.

She moved on to the front door. She found it locked, all of the windows around it intact.

There was no sign of them in the living room, either.

“Did you find them down there?” Holly yelled from the stairs as she descended. “They weren’t up there.”

Cassine went to answer her but froze when she got to the table. The Grimoire was sitting there, open. How did it get here? She wondered. That feeling of magic circling her gripped her tighter. Her heart pounded through her chest as she examined the page it was left on.

Her eyes widened. Dread ripped through her like ice. “No,” she mouthed. Her body was unable to make the sound.

“Cass?” Her sister had entered the room, seeing the look of horror on her face. She looked down and saw the book, and her eyes went wide. “They didn’t.”

Holly’s look spurred Cassine into action. She flew to the back door on the other side of the room. The curtains were pulled back slightly, just enough for their little bodies to have gotten past.

She ripped them open further, revealing the glass door wall.

It was very dark in the backyard, with the only light coming from the house or the streetlight on its opposite side. Those, and five small pinpricks of light on the ground.

“No!” She wailed, fumbling with the handle before yanking the door open. She took off running towards it.

As she approached, she noticed the dissipating fog, the color of the still-lit candles…

And the pentagram made of flowers and empty candy wrappers.

“Kayla! Kaleb!” she yelled. Her brain knew they were not there, but her heart lurched for them.

“No…” Holly approached the pentagram, her voice coming in and out. “…Three…five…. Eight…ten…”

“How many are there?” Cassine blurted out, but she was afraid that she knew the answer.

It still hit her hard to hear Holly say it. “Thirteen.”

She knew Holly knew the book like the back of her hand, just as she did. She knew she would know what that meant. The look of despair in her eyes was enough to tell her what she didn’t want to hear.

Kayla and Kaleb were gone. She couldn’t get them back from the fae realm.

Cassine fell to her knees and screamed, and the sound pierced through the still air like a banshee’s wail.

#fictober writing challenge #my handwriting #writerblr #horror #fae #please read the warnings before proceeding

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